Should Air Force go on one of its patented second-half hot streaks there is a good chance it will point to Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to Sacred Heart as a turning point.
Down two goals with a little over 13 minutes to play the Falcons (0-6-1) rallied to tie the score at 3 in the closing seconds at Niagara University’s Dwyer Arena. They had extended stretches of taking the play to one of the expected contenders in Atlantic Hockey.
A turnover and the Pioneers’ ensuing odd-man rush in overtime ultimately decided the outcome with 1:59 to go. Still, there was plenty to like about this installment of the Falcons’ barnstorming tour of the Northeast to start 2021 (five games in 10 days).
Here are three observations of the game:
No quit in these birds
An Air Force team with 16 underclassmen in its lineup showed plenty of heart in taking only its second lead of the season (1-0 on Jake Levin‘s power-play goal) and fighting back in a third period that started on the penalty kill.
Blake Bride, one of several sophomores who has noticeably upped his game this season, set up freshman Will Gavin on the doorstep of Pioneers goalie Josh Benson (33 saves). Benson made one save but Gavin gathered his own rebound and scored 6:33 into the third period.
Freshman Thomas Daskas tied it with 3 seconds left with Air Force again shorthanded and senior goalie Zach LaRocque pulled for an extra attacker. The Falcons had to go coast to coast to generate that tally after taking a draw in their zone with 14 seconds left.
Sophomore Bennett Norlin picked up his second assist on the play. Norlin also initiated the Levin scoring play by winning a face-off.
The magic number
In between, Sacred Heart had an apparent goal disallowed when Carson Gallagher was deemed to have kicked a pass past LaRocque.
A 4-2 deficit would have been a death blow for Air Force, which had scored as many as two goals just twice in its first six games.
However, there are signs the offense is reviving. One game after firing 42 shots at Niagara, the Falcons launched 36 more on Bensen. Thirty-one of those have come in the third periods of those games.
Like a Rock
LaRocque made his second consecutive start since replacing Alex Schilling in Sunday’s 7-2 loss to Niagara. The senior has allowed eight goals in the equivalent of of the past eight periods but he’s given Air Force chances to win the past two games.
LaRocque appears to be seeing the puck better than at any point in his somewhat topsy turvy Air Force career.
He started the Falcons’ first seven games last season before being replaced by Schilling, who played .500 ball after Air Force’s 0-7 start. This season, he’s come out of the bullpen three times before starting the past two.
Next: Air Force plays at Mercyhurst on Friday (3:05 p.m.) and Saturday (1:05 p.m.)
©First Line Editorial 2021
